Running-gear for motor-vehicles.



W. JUNBAU.

RUNNING GEAR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11. 1910.

977,407. Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-BHEET 1.

mlfr'eal Juneau album,

YNE NORRIS pzrsns co, wAsl-uucmu, n. c.

W TUNBAU RUNNING GEAR FOB MOTOR VEHICLES. Y APPLIOATIOK FILED JULY 11,1910. 977 ,407, Patented Nov. 29, 1910 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 m'gfred JwwmeWILFBED JUNEAU, F MARKSVILLE, LOUISIANA.

RUNNING-GEAR FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Application filed July 11, 1910. Serial No. 571,321.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, YVILFRED JUNEAU, a citizen of the United States,residing at Marksville, in the parish of Avoyelles and State ofLouisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running-Gear for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved running gear for motor vehicles,and it has for its objects to provide a simple and improved attachment,capable of being readily applied to a motor vehicle of ordinaryconstruction, whereby the same may be guided to run upon the rails of anordinary railroad track.

lVith these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of theclaims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,Figure l is a side elevation showing a motor vehicleequipped with one form of the improved attachment. Fig. 2 is aperspective detail view showing a portion of the device detached. Fig. 3is a perspective detail view showing a slightly modified form of theinvention, detached.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by likecharacters of reference.

The motor vehicle A, to which, in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the inventionhas been shown applied, is of any conventional construction, includingthe frame 13, axles C, D and wheels E, F. The frame is provided withlugs or brackets l, 1 with which links 2, 2 are pivotally connected; itbeing understood that each side of the frame is provided with linkcarrying brackets adjacent to its front and rear ends, as will bereadily seen by reference to the several figures of the drawings. Eachpair of links, at the front and rear ends of the frame, is provided withbearings 3 for a shaft or axle 4: carrying flanged wheels 5, 0 which aregaged to engage the rails 6, 6 of an ordinary railroad track.

Under the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, thebearings 3 of each shaft 4 are provided with apertured lugs 7. Ratchetbars 8, 8 are supported slidably in suitable keepers 9, 9 upon the frontand rear ends, respectively, of the body of the motor vehicle, saidratchet bars being provided at their upper ends with handles 10, 10 forconvenience in manipulation. Latch members 11 are pivotally supportedupon the uppermost keepers 9 and 9 for the purpose of engaging theratchet bars which may thereby be held in adjusted position, and each ofsaid latch members is connected by a spring 12 with the keeper uponwhich it is mounted for the purpose of retaining it in ratchetengagingposition.

The lower end of each of the ratchet bars 8, 8? is provided with anaperture 13 for the passage of a flexible element 14, the ends of whichare connected with the lugs 7 upon the bearings supporting the shafts 4:adjacent to the front and rear ends, respectively, of the vehicle. Theflexible elements 14 are guided through eyes 15 and over pulleys 16, 17suitably disposed upon the frame so that by depressing the ratchet bars,the shafts carrying the wheels 5 may be swung from a rail-engagingposition to the positions indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, said shafts moving in the arcs described by the links 2.

It will be readily understood that when the motor vehicle is travelingupon an ordinary road, the flanged wheels will be elevated to theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. lVhenever it shall be desiredto travel upon the rails of a railroad track, and the supporting wheelsof the vehicle have been placed upon the rails, the ratchet bars areelevated, thus permitting the flanged wheels 5 to drop to therail-engaging position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus guiding the vehiclesafely upon the rails when in motion.

As will be seen, under the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the railengaging wheels at the front and rear ends of the vehicle areindependently operable by the ratchet bars 10 and 10. Under theconstruction illustrated in Fig. 3, the arrangement of the brackets 1,links 2, bearing members 3, axles 4 and flanged wheels 5 is identicalwith that hereinbefore described, but only a single ratchet bar, heredesignated 20, for simultaneously adjusting the two sets of flanged railengaging wheels has been shown, said ratchet bar being slidable inkeepers 21 designed to be mounted upon the front end of the vehiclebody, said ratchet bar being held in adjusted position by a spring aetuated latch member 22. A flexible element 23, the ends of which areconnected with the bearing members 3 of the forward shaft 4 is guidedover suitably disposed pulleys 24;, 25 and through eyes 26, and saidflexible element is threaded through an aperture 27 at the lower end ofthe ratchet bar. Suitably guided flexible elements 28 connect thebearings of the rearward shaft at with the flexible element 23, so thatwhen strain is exercised upon the latter to elevate the forward wheelcarrying shaft 4:, such strain will be transmitted through the flexibleelements 28 to the rearward wheel carrying shaft l, thereby causing thesaid shafts to be simultaneously raised or lowered, as the case may be.

Other means than those herein shown may be utilized for adjusting theflanged guide wheels to a rail engaging or non-engaging position, and nolimitation is made to the precise means herein'shown.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. A motor vehicle, a pair of links pivotarmor ally connected therewith,a wheel carrying shaft supported by the links, bearings for said shaft,a slidably supported member, a suitably guided flexible elementconnecting said member with the shaft bearings, and means for supportingthe slidable member in adjusted position.

2. A motor vehicle, a pair of links pivotally connected therewith, shaftbearings carried by said links, a shaft supported in the bearings andhaving flanged guide wheels, a vertically slidable ratchet bar, a springactuated latch to retain said bar in adjusted position, and a suitablyguided flexible element connecting the ratchet bar with the shaftbearings.

3. A motor vehicle, pairs of links connected pivotally with the frame ofsaid vehicle adj aeent to the front and rear ends, respectively, saidlinks being provided with shaft bearings, shafts supported in saidbearings in proximity to the front and rear axles, respectively, of thevehicle, flanged guide wheels upon said shafts, and means whereby thefront and rear wheel carrying shafts may be independently raised orlowered.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILFRED JUNEAU. \Vitnesses T. J. Animation, J. A. Morrow.

